If we must unveil ourselves
by TheLadyMuse
Summary: Kenma, Suga, Akaashi and Iwachan are secretly super awesome shapeshifters, turning into the animal their school correlates with- except Iwa, who is a beautiful black wolf. Of course, they're secretly friends, kind of. Oh, and Lev, who actually came to Nekoma to learn from Kenma, disobeys, of course.


**So, to clarify**

 **Kenma- Prime, head cat of Japan**

 **Suga/Koushi- Prince (because a group of crows is a murder, and princes 'get away with murder')**

 **Iwachan/Hajime- alpha wolf**

 **Akaashi/Keiji- a group of owls is called a parliament, which is usually headed by a Prime minister.**

When he received word that the volleyball teams of Japan- especially Karasuno, Seijoh, Nekoma and Fukuroudani- would be gathered for a weekend on the plains, Koushi was uneasy. Luckily, someone he could consult about the situation was close at hand.

Later that night, an albino crow landed on the back lawn of the Iwaizumi property, backwinging expertly before it touched down. Even as it transformed into the high school student known as Sugawara Koushi, a dark haired, intense young male slid open the door and tossed him a bottle of water. With a nod, Sugawara caught it and jogged up the steps, greeting his host evenly

"Hajime." Iwaizumi nodded and replied

"Koushi. I'm linked with Keiji in the den." Making their way through the house with purposeful strides, they soon entered a simple room with a kotatsu in the center, a laptop set up and open to the view of another room atop it. More precisely, they were viewing the bedroom inhabited by Keiji Akaashi. Kenma Kozume was lounging on the bed, the other teenager was seated on the floor.

It was Koushi who spoke first.

"If the Forgotten attack the Gathering, we will need to take action." Kenma blinked slowly, before he said dismissively

"I'll order Lev to handle evacuation, and then we'll put down the threat."

That… was simple. But it would be effective. With a nod, Koushi helped iron out the rest of the problems, before exiting the way he came, shifting back into the albino crow and flinging himself into the sky, hopeful they wouldn't need these countermeasures.

But he knew it was far likelier they would be needed.

 _At the Gathering…._

The first sign that the Forgotten were coming was innocuous. Barely perceptible. A crow swooped overhead, cawing to be heard, before an owl spiralled in behind it.

Koushi's eyes met Keiji's. The younger male nodded, and with an efficiency that Koushi couldn't help but admire, strode past his teammates, raising his right arm before pinwheeling both, his body melting into the body of the owl that was his soul. As Keiji launched himself into the sky, Hajime and Koushi sprinted behind him, allowing their transformations to blur their bodies before they sped forward far faster than before. The last to run was Kenma, who turned and ordered

"Lev! Evacuate the civilians, we'll deal with this!" Before completing a twisting leap that ended with a sleek lion landing in his place before charging after the others. Dumbfounded, the volleyball players would have done something, were it not for the mental voices coursing through their minds.

 _I've erected the barrier._ Keiji's calm voice intoned, and then Kenma replied

 _Thanks. When we use the Death Knell, direct your damage to me, all of you. I have a successor, after all._

Lev tipped his head back and screamed. Screamed loud enough to have every head turn to him, before he charged forward, blurring before an albino lion leapt forward, falling back from a transparent barrier that materialised as he made contact with it. His thoughts radiated loud and clear

 _No, Kenma-shishou, no! you can't use the Death Knell! It'll kill you! You and every other cat you lead, because I CAN'T be your successor!_

 _I told you to evacuate the others. You're distracting us, and I said you could because I know you can._

 _What about the team? The Captain? You can't die yet!_

 _Shut UP Lev. We knew it would come to this, knew the Forgotten would not resist this. I am the Prime of Japan, strongest cat in the country, you MUST obey me._

 _No. Not this time. I'll take my punishment when you're back, healthy!_

 _LEV!_

 _Ignore Kenma._ Lev's firm directive is followed by nods, and then he explains in this weird thought speak

 _For this battle, this moment, you must deify them. Alpha Hajime, Prime Kenma, Minister Keiji, and Prince Koushi. Believe that nothing will stop them. Anything less will allow them to sacrifice their lives for ours. I, for one, am not repaying Kenma by allowing him to die._

And then they saw it. A meadow where a golden lion was rearing up as it fought a disfigured predatory cat, a silver lion bounding up to tackle the intruder. Tetsurou's belief that Kenma was amazing, could do anything he set his mind to, materialized in the form of a lean jaguar panther, racing across the meadow, Taketora's tiger, Yaku's wildcat, Kai's leopard and Sou's Bengal tiger streaking behind him, other cats joining the fray.

Oikawa called for his friend, desperation in his voice even as his belief came alive in the form of a brown timberwolf, his teammates similarly bounding and yipping toward the fighting black wolf.

Daichi and Koutarou didn't blink, crow and great horned owl winging forward, smaller avian shapes swooping in, the crows mobbing the golden eagle attempting to take Koushi's wing as more owls of many different species ripped into the wings of the vulture attacking Keiji.

And then… Wakatoshi the eagle leads the charge of the other believers, Shiratorizawa eagles screaming and foxes, skunks and other small predators swarming in, hawks diving and falcons screeching.

When the vision of the meadow fades, they are still standing in front of the barrier, Lev slamming into with all the strength his lion body possesses, internally screaming when it shatters like glass, his frantic cry alarming the Fukurodani students into a panic

 _Keiji's down! The barrier broke, and he's down!_

The lion bounds forward again, this time for real, and this time, no one hesitates to charge forward, screaming themselves when they take the forms they saw in the vision.

 _Easy, panic will return you to human shape, and they need our help. For today, you are the priests of Japan._

Lev's words only do so much to calm them, especially after the lion leads an assault on the Forgotten, scattering them away before returning to the fallen bodies of Koushi, Hajime, Keiji and Kenma. Shifting back, Lev orders the others back before elongating his canines to rip open his wrist, shoving it into Kenma's mouth, before hurrying to get a little blood into the other three. Explanations, he says curtly, will have to wait, as they are exhausted.

But it's okay, they're alive.

 **A/N: Please email me with prompts! The address is on my profile if you'd rather not pm. All fandoms I write for (or, challenge me to enter a new one). Also, check out the fan blog on my profile, if you please.**


End file.
